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Get Discounted Solar Panels While You Can

As a homeowner, if you have wondered about Solar power as an energy alternative, but have not yet invested in it, now could be the time. There is an East Bay program called SunShares, which is offering a group discount for homeowners living in Concord, Fremont, Lafayette, Piedmont or Walnut Creek. If you live in another East Bay community but work in one of these cities, you can also get in on the savings. The SunShares program provides a 15% discount over market rates for a solar panel home installation. An additional discount is also available, but only until the end of this year. There is a 30% federal tax credit available through December 31st, which if you take advantage of, could bring you savings of up to 45% on the cost of a solar installation. So far there are 321 homeowners participating in the program; the goal is to get 500.

Solar Panels are a large upfront investment, but are worth it in what can be saved in energy costs. According to Gogreensolar, a California-based solar company, the average home in America uses 920 kilowatt hours of energy per month. Considering this, a 5 kilowatt solar system could provide between 40-90% of the energy in a home, reducing the standard utility bill by as much as 90%. This is wonderful for the long term, but often what keeps homeowners from purchasing a solar panel system is the upfront costs, which is where the discount program comes in. With the SunShares program, the current average cost of a system would go from $20,000 down to $17,000. If you take advantage of the federal tax credit this year, you could see the cost go as low as $11,900.

To participate in the program, you need to have a no-cost, no-obligation site review to confirm if your home is suitable for solar power. You can sign up for your review at the SunShares website, and get the process started toward energy savings. Once you determine if your house will benefit from a system, you can choose one of many local installers to put the panels in. There are also some other options out there, such as leasing, or signing up for a purchase agreement. With these types of programs, often the solar panels are installed for free and you pay a monthly bill, much as you do for standard energy utilities. Whichever option you choose, now is a great time to go solar with your home.

If you are ready to add solar energy to your property, now is the ideal time to take full advantage of the discounted rates that are available. When you are ready to sell or buy a home, me and my team are ready to help you through the entire process. Our goal is to make your experience both easy and pleasurable. Contact us today at (925) 634-7820, or by email at realestate@cecily.com.